August 18, 2009

Regator's New iPhone App Offers News On the Go With Bite

For as much content as I might be creating, with new blog posts, and social media updates scattered across a myriad of networks, I am still far from satiated when it comes to data flowing the other way. My days are spent embedded in Google Reader and FriendFeed, with TweetBeep, LazyFeed and BackType filling in the gaps I may miss. But when away from the laptop, it's my iPhone that keeps me connected to the world wide publishing machine. With the introduction of a new application from Regator (www.regator.com), I now have three solid options for finding relevant data when I am praying to the duopoly of Apple and AT&T. Added on to MeeHive (review) and My6Sense (review), I am getting dangerously close to knowing I won't miss anything, even when I clip my laptop leash.

The three applications (My6Sense, MeeHive and Regator) have slightly different goals. My6Sense looks at data you have imported and tries to learn from your behavior what is most relevant to you as an individual. MeeHive not only offers general news, but also, personalized data based on its knowing what I like, thanks to my answering a series of survey questions. Regator plays more of an editorial role, having hand-selected the best of the blogosphere (in their mind) and offering it to you in easy to navigate sections.

The Main Regator iPhone Page (and Technology Trends)

Upon opening Regator, you get a popular news overview from the Web, which, depending when you look, could offer you a mix of technology, celebrity news, politics, healthcare or sports. To find the newest updates, click the New button at the bottom, or, more interestingly, you can click Trends to find what topics are gaining momentum in the blogosphere. (For example, top trends today include Robert Novak, Brett Favre, and the iPhone)

Regator's Technology Section and My Blog Archive

But more specialization takes place when you look at the bar below "All Topics" at the top of the Regator app. You can find subsections from Poltiics, Religion, Sports, Local Interest and others. Of course, being a techno-focused media consumer, that's where I expect to spend the most time. Regator lets you "swipe" through the lists left to right and right to left to drill down on your topic, and you might be surprised as to how deep their data goes. If you click too many times in the wrong place, you just might find yourself in Architecture under Construction under Occupations, for example. Regator has all the data, and is just waiting for you to find it. And yes, should you get lost, just click home to go back.

Of the three applications, Regator has the smoothest, most colorful, interface. It has its smiling gator atop each page, features thumbnail graphics and large colorful buttons. Just about the only thing it doesn't do which I wish it did is clearly offer full-text of the stories (now, you have to click a second time following the excerpt). On My6Sense, I can read a full story and go back to my list, as it pulls from the full RSS feed. On Regator, I initially only see the headline, a thumbnail and an excerpt. Meanwhile, Meehive just clicks through to the original story as if I had opened a new browser window.

Regator: Searching for iPhone and Vanity Search Results

Regator also offers the option to search by keyword, or to browse the product's very-deep directories. Should you find an individual blog that you like, you can choose it, and scroll down to see more entries, going back for several months at least. It aims to offer what it calls the Web's Best Blogs, and it does a great job finding high-quality content from a wide variety of sources. The new app is available for free on the iTunes store. Don't be thrown by its 17+ rating. That's just Apple being confused.Disclosure: Kosmix.com, author of MeeHive, is a client of Paladin Advisors Group, where I am General Manager of New Media. I have no relationships with other companies or services mentioned in this article.